In which the world of culinary hedonism is explored with a cup and a half of curiosity, a heaping tablespoon of passion and a dash of clumsiness.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

109 ~ Tuna steak and Veggies (at a price)

Last night I left campus at 7pm - yes, on a Saturday - because I had been riding a wave of productivity that continues even today. So this is going to be short and sweet, as I'm heading back in to finish my To-Do list! But last night I was craving simple, wholesome fare. And so I did one of those "If I could have anything in the world right now, what would I eat" games. It's a dangerous game to play when you're living so far away from Wegmans or Panera. I settled on simply prepared fish and a steamed veggie.

I wandered in to Cold Storage and grabbed a tray of Brussels Sprouts, which, I'm sad to say, were 50 cents a sprout. But fresh veggies are worth it, right? Next was a tuna steak - a tray with two - so I could justify the cost since I'd be getting a second meal out of it, right? I won't tell you what I paid for the tuna. I just won't. Next into my cart went an oaky Chardonnay. Because if you're gonna be a big spender, you might as well go all the way, right? RIGHT?!

This was one of those meals that was so simple I almost wonder if anyone out there wants to read a blog post about it, but I think the reason I will post on it is because it shows how fast preparing a truly delicious meal can be. I was sitting down to eat this less than 15 minutes after I walked in the door.

Here's what you'll need:

Tuna steak

Butter

Seasoned salt (I chose garlic salt)

Coarse salt

Brussels sprouts (yours will be cheaper. Be quiet.)

First things first - open the wine. Ha! You thought I was going to wax poetic about starting the pan heating? Let's be realistic. Okay, NOW you can get the pan on the stove. I always cook with stick-free cookware. Start a good chunk of butter melting down in the pan.

Wash the brussels sprouts. With the absence of an oven, another great way to eat Brussels Sprouts is how my mom and I prepare them when we're home together. We buy them pre-shredded at Wegmans and steam them. Since mine aren't pre-shredded, I make short order of them myself with a chef's knife, then stick them in a bowl with a little water and tightly cover it with cling wrap. I popped them into the microwave on 1:30 and then put the tuna steak onto the pan. I seasoned one side lightly with the garlic salt, and when I saw it was heated partway through, I flipped it over. At the same time, I stirred the Brussels Sprouts and popped them in for 30 more seconds.

: : PAUSE : :

All in all, the tuna was probably cooked for about 10 minutes (I decided to cook this tuna all the way through, but you can use your judgment on cooking times and make it to your preference).

: : UNPAUSE : :

I flipped the tuna steak one more time, making sure to move it around the pan to get all that good browned butter on it, turned off the heat but let it sit there a little longer while I drained, buttered and salted the sprouts.

Onto a plate it all went, and I called it dinner.

And a grand dinner it was!

Yours in the love of good food and wine and a speedy combination of the two,

AL

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The blogger is not an experienced chef. She takes no responsibility for the quality of the meals prepared while following her advice. Use your own judgment regarding cooking times and proper food handling.

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About Me

After earning her Ph.D. in communication with a dissertation about socio-emotional intelligence in 2012, Amanda took a position teaching communication courses for SUNY Buffalo through the Singapore Institute of Management’s Global Education program for four years. In the summer of 2016, she returned home to the Western New York area for an assistant professorship in Communication Studies at SUNY Fredonia. She has also recently returned to graduate school to pursue a second master's degree in Creativity and Change Leadership at SUNY Buffalo State. When not teaching or researching, her hobbies include blogging, world travel, reading, writing, genealogy research, pampering her maltese-yorkie and most recently, working her way through all the baking recipes in Betty Crocker's 1976 cookbook.